Active Surveillance Tied to Higher Long-Term Cervical Cancer Risk

THURSDAY, Nov. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Undergoing active surveillance for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) is associated with higher long-term risk for cervical cancer compared with that seen for women receiving immediate treatment, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in The BMJ.

Kathrine Dyhr Lycke, from Aarhus University in Denmark, and colleagues assessed the long-term risk for cervical cancer in women with CIN2 who were untreated (undergoing active surveillance) or had undergone immediate treatment with large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ). The analysis included 27,524 women with diagnosed CIN2 (from 1998 to 2020) at ages 18 to 40 years.

The researchers found that during follow-up, 104 cases of cervical cancer were identified: 56 (54 percent) in the active surveillance group and 48 (46 percent) in the LLETZ group. During an active surveillance period of two years, the cumulative risk for cervical cancer was similar between the two groups. At more than two years of active surveillance, the risk increased to 2.65 percent after 20 years compared with remining stable (0.76 percent) in the LLETZ group.

"Undergoing active surveillance for CIN2, thereby leaving the lesion untreated, was associated with increased long-term risk of cervical cancer compared with immediate LLETZ," the authors write. "These findings show the importance of continued follow-up of women having active surveillance."

Several authors disclosed ties to AstraZeneca and Roche Denmark.

Abstract/Full Text